Red line indicates the portion that will soon be fenced off

Trail Users Should Take Marked Route

By Ngani Ndimbie
Beginning Friday, October 2nd a stretch of the CSX Railway property in the South Side parallel to the river will be temporarily blocked off off to pedestrians and people on bikes between 2nd and 4th Street*. This section of railroad property is a commonly used connection on the South Side segment of the Three Rivers Heritage Trail.

The temporary fencing will prohibit people who are walking and biking from accessing and using CSX property from 2nd Street to 4th Street.

We’ve been told that an an opening of 10 feet will be created at 2nd Street and believe that this opening will allow for trail users to for trail users to continue west along the trail from 2nd Street.

Since this stretch isn’t actually an official part of the Three Rivers Heritage Trail system, there is existing “River Trail Detour” signage that routes bicyclists and pedestrians around that section of CSX property using South 2nd Street, South 4th Street and McKean Street (right by the Terminal Building).
 

Wait. Where Again?

*This length of land is actually pretty hard to describe as it doesn’t have a street name. So here’s my best shot: You know when you’re riding on the South Side segment of the trail towards Station Square and you pass through or near a parking lot and then make a left to go over some train tracks (the trail dead ends into a building otherwise)? Right after that things get a little sketchy if you take a sometimes narrow, sometimes graveley, not-well-maintained path next to the train tracks for about two blocks. That’s the part that will be closed. If you’re coming from the other direction this is what you may know as the sketchy portion shortly after the Smithfield Street Bridge.

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